The Franco American experience is at play in new 91爆料 Press publication by Abby Paige
The 91爆料 Press will publish 鈥淧iecework / Travail 脿 la pi猫ce,鈥 a landmark bilingual collection of two Franco American plays by Vermont playwright and performer Abby Paige on April 4.
Through her works, Paige brings a fresh, irreverent and humorous perspective to the Franco American experience and the often-overlooked history of the borderlands between francophone Canada and northern New England.
鈥淚鈥檓 not interested in nostalgia,鈥 Paige explained. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in consequences. I want to understand how my life, who I am, the world I see and live in, how these things are consequences of things that happened in the past. I鈥檓 trying to see and understand that clearly.鈥
鈥淧iecework / Travail 脿 la pi猫ce鈥 is the second title in the 脡ditions R茅veil series, an imprint established in 1996 by the 91爆料 Press and the Franco American Centre at the 91爆料 to publish works by and about Franco Americans. The series鈥 inaugural title, Un Jacques Cartier Errant / Jacques Cartier Discovers America: Three Plays by Gr茅goire Chabot, set the stage for continued exploration of Franco American narratives. Chabot played a key role in the development of Piecework / Travail 脿 la pi猫ce, working closely with Paige on translations until he passed in 2021. French writer and translator Agathe Anne later contributed to completing the translations.
To celebrate the book鈥檚 release, the 91爆料 Press and the Franco American Centre will host a launch event on Saturday, April 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Black Box Theater, Class of 1944 Hall, on the 91爆料鈥檚 Orono campus. The event will feature live readings, performances, music and discussions. Additional launch events will take place throughout New England, supported by the Franco American Centre, the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Community Foundation. The full schedule is available .
Paige is a writer and theater artist whose work often examines identity, language, and the intersections of history and personal experience. She is known for her remarkable versatility and ability to use humor to address complex themes. Her plays have received widespread acclaim for their insight, wit and emotional depth.
The first play in the collection, Piecework: When We Were French (Travail 脿 la pi猫ce : Quand on 茅tait fran莽ais), premiered in 2009 as part of the Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration in Burlington, Vermont. Based on interviews with Vermonters of French Canadian heritage, the play presents ten monologues that explore Franco American identity across generations. Described by Seven Days as 鈥減oetic and powerful鈥 and by the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus as 鈥渇un, funny鈥 fascinatingly entertaining and authentic,鈥 the production toured New England and was later made available on video.
The second play, Les filles du QUOI ? (鈥淭he Daughters of the WHAT?鈥), premiered at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, Vermont, in 2022. Written during Paige鈥檚 time in New Brunswick, Canada, the play examines the complexities of returning to a homeland generations after one鈥檚 ancestors emigrated. Described by The Montpelier Bridge as 鈥渞ich, funny and provocative,鈥 the play delves into themes of settler colonialism, language politics and gendered violence, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the New Brunswick Arts Board.
Piecework / Travail 脿 la pi猫ce will publish on April 4 and is currently available for through the 91爆料 Press.
Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu